PREFACE TO PART II 



WE greatly regret the delay which has occurred in the publication 

 of this the second part of our work. The delay has not been 

 due to any lack of diligence on our part but to various difficulties which 

 we encountered in the preparation of our manuscript. For, wheu we 

 came to make a careful study of Ixodes, we found it necessary to re- 

 write almost all of the specific descriptions after personally examining 

 such types as were accessible. This necessitated journeys to Berlin, 

 Paris, Toulouse and London (British Museum), and a considerable 

 correspondence with heads of Museums, owners of type specimens, and 

 others in many places throughout the world. 



We commence Section I of this part with (1) an historical review 

 dealing with the classification of ticks. This, and the succeeding 

 chapter (2), dealing with the superfamily Ixodoidea, might, perhaps, 

 with more propriety have appeared at the commencement of Part I, 

 but it is chiefly with regard to the Ixodidae that taxonomic difficulties 

 have been encountered, and, moreover, Chapter 2 forms a necessary 

 connecting link leading to the matter which follows. In Chapter 3 we 

 have gone with some detail into the generic diagnoses of Ixodidae, these 

 being illustrated in a manner not attempted hitherto if we except the 

 crude figures accompanying the publication of Lahille. 



Section II, which forms the bulk of Part II, concerns itself solely 

 with the genus Ixodes, but for some of the matter contained in the 

 appendices. At the commencement of the section, under Synonymy, 

 we give our reasons for suppressing various generic and subgeneric 

 names which have been applied to forms included by us in this genus. 

 We definitely condemn many species which are merely nominal, and we 

 have referred others to the category of " Doubtful Species," as will be 

 seen by reference to the lists at the end. Under doubtful species we 

 include such as are founded on immature forms or which have been 



